22 May 2015

Photo of the Week: A/Prof Ross Dickins' group in the ACBD

Welcome to Dr Ross Dickin's group, new to the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases. Their laboratory is interested in understanding tumour suppressor gene
function, focusing on several hematopoietic transcription factors
recurrently mutated in acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukemias (ALL
and AML). Cancer results from an accumulation of genetic mutations that disable the normal regulation of cell growth and survival. In the last decade, large scale cancer genome sequencing of all the major cancer types has identified ~150 genes that promote oncogenesis when mutated. The key challenge, they believe, is to understand how these cancer ‘driver genes’, comprising a similar number of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes, contribute to tumourigenesis and treatment response.